Adjustable dispenser base



April 21, 1953 H. s. AYTON 2,635,845

ADJUSTABLE DISPENSER BASE Filed April 9, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l April1953 H. s. AYTON ADJUSTABLE DISPENSER BASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April9, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 9, 1949 Patented Apr. 21, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE DISPENSER BASE Harvey S. Ayton,Winfield, Ill., assignor to The Dole Valve Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois This invention relates generally to basestructures for drink dispensers.

It is well known that contemporary soda fountains are usually providedwith a syrup rail disposed immediately to the rear and below the counterof a soda fountain. The syrup rail includes front and back members whichare arranged to receive syrup jars in an inclined position so that thesyrup contained therein may be conveniently withdrawn during th courseof concocting a soda fountain confection.

In recent years at soda fountains as at present constructed, mixed drinkdispensers are also employed. In order to effect a saving of valuablecounter space intended for general service to customers, base structuresfor drink dispensers have been devised to provide means for mounting themixed drink dispenser superjacent the syrup rail thereby leaving theserving counter free and clear.

The instant invention is intended, therefore, to provide a novel andimproved base structure for a drink dispenser to be mounted superjacenta syrup rail.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide an improvedadjustable dispenser base structure which is universal in itsadaptability tosubstantially all known forms of syrup rails provided incontemporary soda fountains.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable dispenserbase structure which may be easily installed with a minimum number ofassembly tools.

An important object of this invention is to provide an adjustabledispenser base structure which is capable of obtaining a firmer grip onstronger foundations than has heretofore been possible.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable basestructure which may be simply adjusted to accommodate differences inthree potential dimensional variables.

.Many other advantages and objects of the instant invention will becomemanifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to thefollowing detailed description and the. accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section and partly brokenaway, illustrating the application of an adjustable dispenser basestructure embodying the principles of my invention to a conventionaltype of contemporary soda fountain;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional.

view of a portion of the base structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken in side elevation showingthe details of construction of the base structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a base structure embodying theprinciples of my invention removed from the syrup rail of a sodafountain; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V--V of Figure 3.

On the drawings:

In order to effect the utilitarian positioning of a mixed drinkdispenser superjacent the syrup rail of a contemporary soda fountain, abase structure must be so designed as to be adaptable to various typesof soda fountains which differ in dimension and configuration.

One such variation is the difference in height between the top of acounter ledge and the bottom of the horizontal face usually provided ona syrup rail back member.

A second variation is the difference in dimension between the top of theinner face of the syrup rail back member and the opposing inner face ofthe syrup rail front member. It will be apparent that this secondvariation frequently depends uponthe relative heights of the syrup frontand back members. i A third variation is the difference in dimension inthe internal depth of a syrup jar container opening. This dimension canbe most accurately described as the distance between the inner face ofthe syrup rail back member and the inner face of the syrup rail frontmember when measured along a horizontal plane.

The three so-called variations aforementioned may be considered as thecomponents of a variable right angle triangle. The short leg of thetriangle would correspond to the difference in height between the top ofthe counter ledge and the bottom of the syrup rail back member, the longleg of the triangle would correspond to the internal depth of the syrupjar container opening, and the hypotenuse of the triangle wouldcorrespond to the dimension measured between the face of the syrup railback member and the face of the syrup rail front member along aninclined plane joining these two points.

Having thus described the environment to which an adjustable dispenserbase structure must be adapted, the particular features of my inventionwhich make my base structure universally applicable to all known sodafountains under manufacture will be described.

Referring first to Figure l, a drink dispenser l0 havingan outlet Hcontrolled by a valve (not shown) is mounted on an adjustable basestructure indicated generally by the reference numeral I2.

The drink dispenser Ill and the base structure I2 are shown positionedsuperjacent a syrup rail having a syrup rail back member I3 and a syruprail front member I4. As is well known, the syrup rail is so constructedas to lie to the rear of and below a counter ledge I6 intended for thegeneral service of patrons at the soda fountain.

It will be apparent that the space between the syrup rail back member I3and front member I4 may be employed to receive a plurality of syrup jars(not shown). Thus, supplies of variously flavored syrups may bepositioned in proximate relation to freezer or ice cream receptacles IIsealed by a cover structure I8.

As appears on the drawings, the base structure I2 may be provided withan extending support member I9 projecting into a area below the apertureII of the dispenser H3. The support member I3 may be provided with anoverflow channel 23 and is used to support glasses or other receptaclessuitable for containing liquid emanating from the aperture II of thedispenser III.

The base structure I2 is made up of what may be referred to as an uppersection and a lower section. The upper section of the base structure I2is essentially a unitary bifurcated structure having walls 2! extendingaway from a back member 22. For purposes of strength and for ease inmanufacturing, I prefer to make the upper section in the form of anintegral casting defining wall portions 2| and a back portion 22 as wellas a top brace 23 and a front brace 24; the braces lying between andserving to space the wall portions 2i (Figure 3) As will be noted onFigures 1, 3 and 4, the back portion 22 is provided with an integralfoot portion 26 which is adapted to be seated upon one edge of thecounter ledge I6.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 3, it will be noted that thewalls 2| are apertured as at 2'! and 2B and are further provided withapertured support clips 29 and 3!! in registry therewith. The clips arefirmly assembled on the inside of the wall portions 2I by means offasteners 3i and 32, respectively, in order to provide a journal supportfor threaded screw links 33 and 34.

A pair of stay rods 35 having a left-hand threaded portion 35a arethreaded through each of the screw links 33. The stay rods 35 areprovided with suitable grooves 35b to receive a screw driver incooperation therewith.

- A pair of stay rods 36 having right-hand threaded portions 36a areturned into the screw links 34. The stay rods 36 are also provided withgrooves 361) to cooperate with a screw driver.

The lower portion of the base structure I2 comprises a frame device 37which is provided with a plurality of extensible elements. Moreparticularly, the frame device 31 include a pair of back portions 38 anda pair of front portions 39. The back portions 38 and the front portions39 preferably take the form of U-shaped structures and may be adaptedfor overlapping, one by the other, to provide for telescopic adjustmentalong the longitudinal dimension defined by the frame device 31.

To effect the telescopic adjustability of the frame device 31, each ofthe front portions 39 is provided with a suitable slot 3% for receivinga locking stud 41. Each stud 4| passes through an aperture 38a formed inthe back portions 38 and threadedly engages a corresponding stud nut 42.Thus, the front portions 39 may be telescoped relative to the backportions 33 and securely locked in any desired position by tighteningthe stud nuts 42 upon the studs 4I (Figures 2 and 5).

The back portions 38 also define suitable socket joints 38b, each beingadapted toreceive a swivel 350 formed on the end of each stay rod 35(Fig ure 2) The ends of the back portions 38 may also be provided withregistering apertures to pivotally journal pins 43 supportingpositioning studs 44 for a limited rotative movement thereabout.

The front portions 39 are provided with a plurality of spaced socketjoints 33a to receive in cooperative seating relationship a locatingswivel 360 formed on the end of each stay rod 36.

Positioned between the front portions 39 is a vise screw assemblyincluding a body 46 bent to shape a hook portion 46a and a supportportion 46b suitably apertured to receive in threaded assembly therewitha screw 41. The body 46 may be bent to form a centrally disposed rib 460to provide the requisite strength necessary to preclude collapsing ofthe vise screw assembly when tightened upon a syrup rail front member towhich it may be attached.

It will be apparent that the structure described above is actuallyuniversal in its adaptability to all known forms of soda fountain syruprail-s. Because the frame device 31 is carried by the stay rods 35 and36, which are adjustably and pivotally suspended in the screw links 33and 34, variations in the dimension between the top of the counter ledgeI6 and the horizontal face I3a of the syrup rail back member I3 andvariations in the dimension between the face of the syrup rail backmember I3 and the syrup rail front member I4 may be accommodated byselective positioning of the frame device 31 relative to the uppersection of the base structure I2.

As shown on Figures 1, 2 and 3, the base structure I2 gets its purchaseor grip by compression between the top of the counter I6 and thehorizontal face I3a of the syrup rail back member I3 by virtue of therelative registered alignment of the foot portion 26 and the positioningstuds 44 on the back portions 38 of the frame device 31. No matter whatthe angle of inclination defined by the syrup rail back member I3 andthe syrup rail front member I4, the stay rods 35 and 36 may beadequately adjusted to accommodate 'such angle of inclination and at thesame time maintain the relative registered alignment of the foot portion26 and the positioning studs 44.

Variations of the horizontal dimension corresponding to the internaldepth of the syrup jar container opening may be accommodated by virtueof the telescoping effect of the frame device 3I. Thus, the longitudinaldistance between the positioning studs 44 and the vise screw assemblymay be varied by loosening the stud nuts 42 and telescoping the frontportions 39 into the back portions 38. I

It should be noted that the selective seating arrangement provided byvirtue of the socket seats 3911 being cooperative with the locatingswivel 360 permits an especially wide potential range of adjustment.

When the instant base structure I2 is installed superjacent a syrup railof a soda fountain, it will be noted that a screw driver may be turnedable elements including the left-hand threaded stay rods 35, theright-hand threaded stay rods 36, and the stud nuts 42. This featurepermits a simplicity of construction which is highly desirable since itpermits fine adjustment of the instant base structure with greatfacility.

The base structure l2 may be further provided with an aperture 48 toreceive a wing nut 49 arranged to cooperate with a slotted movable slide50. The slides 50 may serve as covers or spacers to conceal the open orvoid space between the sides of the base structure I 2 and the sides ofthe syrup jar opening.

It will be apparent to those versed in the art that I have described anadjustable base structure for supporting a mixed drink dispensersuperjacent a syrup rail of a soda fountain which obtains a firmer gripon stronger foundation than has been possible on the structuresheretofore provided. It will also be apparent to those versed in the artthat the instant base structure may be simply adjusted to compensate forvariations in all possible dimensions so as to permit a universalapplication of drink dispensers to soda fountains.

Although I have resorted to detail in the description of my inventionfor the sake of clarity, it will be readily evident that manymodifications may be suggested to those versed in the art withoutmarking a departure from the spirit of my invention. I do notcontemplate, therefore, to be limited to the preferred embodiment hereinshown and described by way of illustrative example.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a drink dispenser base structure defining a footportion seatable on the edge of a counter ledge and adapted to bepositioned superjacent a syrup rail in a soda fountain, a frame deviceadapted to extend across said syrup rail subjacent said base structure,means connecting said frame device to said base structure, said framedevice having extensible adjusting elements operably connected foreffecting variable horizontal adjustment thereof across spaced syruprail elements, a vise screw assembly pivotally carried on one extensionelement thereof and having clamping means adapt- 6 ed stay rodsthreadedly carried by said screw links, and a frame device having aswivel connection with said pair of left-hand threaded stay rods, andseating means for selectively seating said right-hand threaded stayrods, said frame device adapted to extend across a soda fountain syruprail subjacent said base structure, and including back and frontextensible elements operably connected for effecting variable horizontaldimensional adjustment thereof across spaced soda fountain syrup railelements, said front element having a vise screw assembly pivotallyassembled therewith and having clamping means lockable to a syrup railfront member, said back element having positioning stud means to lie insubjacent registry with a foot portion formed on said base.

3. A drink dispenser base structure comprising, in combination, a basemember, a first pair of screw links pivotally carried on said basemember, a second pair of screw links spaced from said first pair ofscrew links and pivotally carried on said base member, a, pair ofleft-hand threaded stay rods each defining an end swivel threadedlycarried by said first pair of screw links, a pair of right-hand stayrods each defining an end locating swivel threadedly carried by saidsecond pair of screw links, and a frame device having a swivelconnection with said pair of left-hand threaded stay rods, andcooperating seating means for seating said right-hand threaded stayrods, said frame device including back and front extensible elementsoperably connected for effecting variable horizontal dimensionaladjustment thereof across spaced apart elements of a soda fountain syruprail, said back elements carrying said left-hand threaded stay rods,said front element defining a plurality of socket seats for selectivelypositioning said right-hand threaded stay rods along their length, and avise screw assembly including a body shaped to provide a hook portionand a screw carrying support portion spaced therefrom, said hook portionand said screw together forming an adjustable clamp, said vise screwassembly being pivoted between said front elements to obtain a lockingpurchase on a syrup rail front member.

HARVEY S. AY'ION.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 878,406 Loos Feb. 4, 1908 2,157,154 Tweed May 9, 19392,209,057 Jackson July 23, 1940 2,584,927 'Sanborn Feb. 5, 1952

